4:58pm Thursday 12th August 2010
By Daniel Orr
WORKERS at one of South Lakeland’s major employers are bracing themselves for the announcement of up to 100 compulsory job losses next month.
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has confirmed it is entering the last phase of a redundancy programme at its Ulverston site.
It was announced in February 2008 that 330 jobs were to go on a phased basis when protective patents ran out.
Since then around 200 workers have volunteered to leave but the company says it needs to axe up to 100 more before the end of the year in order to reach its target.
Union leader John Clough said the first wave of redundancies would get three months’ notice at the end of September, with the second wave being told at the end of December to leave by the end of March 2011.
He said the union did not believe the site would be sustainable with just 210 people remaining and said the firm was having to bring contractors in to support some areas of the business.
The union believes the plant needs at least 240 workers to continue.
The plant, built on the site of the former iron works and paper mills, plays a key role in the manufacture and supply of bulk active ingredients to other GSK sites for use in the fight against infectious diseases.
It also produces the early stages of an anti-viral product, lamivudine, which is active against HIV, AIDS and hepatitis B.
The plant is one of three sites in the country still in the running to house a new GSK £300m biopharmaceutical plant.
That would create hundreds of jobs, but the new coalition Government is yet to approve the proposition made by their Labour predecessors.
Ulverston mayor Coun Phil Lister said: “I am saddened at the prospect of more staff being cut from what was once a very major employer in the town but I am confident Ulverston has the capacity to fight back.
"I would personally call upon the senior managers to manage the downsizing of the workforce in a sympathetic manner.”
Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock said: “Even though this redundancy programme is expected, it is no less unsettling for employees who are fearful for their jobs.
"There is a responsibility on the company to continue handling the process sensitively and to keep compulsory red-undancies to an absolute minimum."
Furness Enterprise chief executive Harry Knowles said: “Any redundancies are deeply regrettable but this is part of the previously-announced programme.
"GSK has done it carefully from the point of view of setting up this fund which has been successful so far.”
Stephen Bowe, Ulverston human resources director, said staff had already been informed and a consultation meeting will be held with staff representatives in the coming week.
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